Method of treating bread.



H. J. LUEDERS.

METHOD 0F TREATING BREAD. APPLICAUON FILED Nov.22.1917.

1.282,25 ll.. Patented Oct. 22, 1918.

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S rar nos.

HENRY J'. LUEDERS, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT 0F COLUMBIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF TO FRED TREULEBEN, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

METHOD OF TREATING BREAD.

Application mea November a2, 1917. seriai 11o.

To all 'whom 'it may concern.'

Be it known that I, HENRY J. LUEDERS, aV citizen of the United States of America, and va resident of Washington, in the District of Columbia, have invented certain new and `racks from Yfour to siX hours before it is wrapped. During this time it is consequently exposed to the atmosphere from which are deposited onto the tops of the loaves a large number of fungoidybacteria known as molds. After the bread is. wrapped and the crust of the bread comH mences to soften these molds begin to grow, at first on the surface of the bread and then gradually 'into the loaves through any splits oropenings that may be in them. The molds cannot withstand a high temperature and the object of my invention is to provide a method lof treating the molds to a temperature of between 140O and 600.D F. so that the molds will be destroyed immediately prior to the wrapping of the bread.' In order that my method may be better 'under-- stood, I have illustrated it in the accom' panying drawings in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a machine now in common use, with apparatus connected therewith to ca ry out my invention.

Fig. 2 is a Sectio al view. of' one of the sterilizers. K

In theaforesaid drawing the machine, as shown in Fig. 1, comprises a wrapping machine to which power is applied by a motor 1 through a clutch 2 which is operated from a clutch lever 4. Connected to one side of the machine is an endless apron 6 by which loaves are delivered tothe machine to be wrapped, and the loaves after having been wrapped are delivered by another endless apron 8. "It will be understood that my invention has nothing to do with the form of wrapping machine but that the machine shown in the drawing eis used for the phrpose of illustration only. In carrying out my invention, I prefer to employ a sterilizer which may, if desired, be located at the pointk 10 so that as the loaves of bread are moved Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented 00111.22, 11918.. 203,413.

by the aforesaid endless carrier 6 into the wrapping machine, they -are transported through the sterilizer. this sterilizer is shown in Fig. 2. 'The sterilizer is preferably of the size to contain,

A sectional view of l say', six loaves of bread at once and it is" provided with means for heating it which will now be described. A gassupply pipe 1 14 is preferably :employed from which runs a pipe 16 to supply gas to a pilot burner 18. The main pipe 14 also supplies a number of burners such as that shown at 20 in Fig. 2,

these burners extending laterally across the y sterilizer for the whole width of the same, the width being preferably slightly in eX- cess of the loaves f bread being treated. Each of the burners 20 is provided with a valve 22 and each valve is provided with a crank 24, all of these cranks being connected to a common link 26 which in turn is connected to the clutch operating lever 4 hereinbefore described. It will be obvious from this construction that when the clutch lever 4 is moved in oney direction to throw the clutch to startthe machine in motion, all ofv the valves 22 will be moved to permit the gas to flow to the various burners 20, these burners being lighted from the constantly burning pilot burnerv 18.. It will also be manifest that when the clutch lever 4 is thrown to shift the clutch to stop the machine, the-valves will be moved in the contrary direction and therefore closed so that thesupply of gas is shut off from all the burners except the pilot burner 18.

The aforesaid burners 20 are designed to provide heat preferably above 1400 F. The invention is of course not. limited t-o any special temperature. for I find that temperatures from 140to 600 F. will effectively kill all vthe moldsthat have lodged on the bread during the cooling and will make the bread absolutely sterile and immune from further mold growths. The sterilizers are preferably formed with double walls as shown in Fig. 2 and lined w1th asbestos. Thev may also be provided with swmgmg ,doorsl28 whichA are about the height ofthe loaves to be'wrapped anl their purpose 1s to keep the heat in the chamber.

In operation, when the operator throws gli as the loaves or bread are lied by the endless apron 6 into the wrapping machine to be wrapped, theyvpass vthrough thesterilizer and are subjected to the heat from the burners 2 0, thereby killing` all molds that have lodged on the bread during the cooling, the bread being immediately passed from the sterilizer into the wrapping machine to be wrapped and discharged therefrom by the discharge apron 8.

kWhile l have illustrated one form or apparatus for carrying out my method, it will be obvious that other apparatus may be employed and that instead of using a wrapping machine the bread may be wrapped by hand if desirable..

What l claim as my invention is:

l. ln the art or treating bread, the step which consists in subjecting it to heat after it is baked and just prior to its being wrapped, whereby the molds upon the crust are killed.

2, ln the art of treating bread, the step lconsists in coolin a .sterilizing zone in which the crust ot the bread is subjected to heat between 140 and 600 Trl., to kill the molds, and in then wrapping' the bread.

. The method of treating bread, which baked, and in subjecting its crust to heat which consists in subjecting its crust to heat between 140 and 600 l", to kill the molds, and in then wrapping the bread.

3. ln the art or treating bread, the which consists in passing the bread through between 140 and 600O F. to kill the molds, and in then wrapping the bread.

6. The method of treating bread, which consists in cooling the bread after it is baked and in passing the bread through a sterilizing Zone in which the crust of the bread is subjected to heat between MCOo and 600o ll., to kill the molds, and in then wrapping the bread.

ln testimony whereof l ax my signature in presence of two witnesses.

narrar J. manitas.

Witnesses lJoran L. FLETCHER,

Tnoruns l, Rormnrsorr.,

the bread after itis 

